Carnival Films
Break out the tea towels! Filming on Series 4 of Downton Abbey has wrapped, and though those of us Stateside won't be able to catch up with the Crawleys until January, photos from the production have been released to whet our appetites for the many heated arguments about the propriety of white-tie attire versus black-tie attire to come. Specifically, we're getting our first glimpse of the three new men in the life of Michelle Dockery's Lady Mary, following the death of her husband Matthew Crawley (Dan Stevens) at the end of Series 3. “We do see quite a bit of the Mary she was before she met Matthew, that icy iron-maiden quality," producer Gareth Neame tells TV Guide. "It's going to take an awful lot to get her back to life." Let’s get to know the three gents in her orbit better.
Jack Ross (Gary Carr)
The dashing young jazz singer from Chicago, pictured above, meets Lady Mary in the third episode, after Branson, Rose, and Aunt Rosamund force her finally to leave Downton after her extended period of mourning. They take her to a swinging club in London called the Lotus, where Ross helps her come out of her shell. "The spine of the new season is how Mary moves from total bereavement into turning to life again," Neame says. "Ross is very positive, ambitious and charming. And we get to see him perform."
Lord Gillingham (Tom Cullen)
Carnival Films
Around the same time, Lady Mary reacquaints herself with old family friend Lord Gillingham at one of Downton’s lavish parties. He helps her out with the tangled mess of inheritance taxes surrounding Matthew’s assets. "Mary is not looking for anyone to replace Matthew, but she is, of course, a beautiful, eligible young widow, so inevitably there is going to be quite a lot of male interest," Neame says. "Gillingham is a very useful friend to Mary at a time when she's not able to make decisions."
Charles Blake (Julian Ovenden)
Remember Evelyn Napier? He was the Crawley family friend who introduced them to Turkish ambassador Kemal Pamuk — who died in Lady Mary’s bed — way back in Season 1. Well, he’s coming back. And hopefully the friend he’s bringing with him this time has a healthier ticker. Evelyn’s pal is named Charles Blake, and he’s full of ideas about how to run Downton more efficiently…just like Matthew was before his untimely end. But unlike Matthew Mary despises him. However, if you think about it, she wasn’t really keen on her eventual husband at the start of Season 1, either. "There's a bit of a difference," Neame says. "Mary objected to the law making Matthew the heir to Downton. Blake is someone she just doesn't like. He's modern-thinking but does not share the family's sentimentality about the past."
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More: ‘Downton Abbey’ Season 4: 10 Spoilers About What’s Next for the Crawleys Why Are All the ‘Downton Abbey’ Maids Redheads? Stephen Colbert Mashes Up ‘Downton Abbey’ and ‘Breaking Bad’
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British actor Tom Chambers was turned down for a coveted role in hit period drama Downton Abbey because producers decided he was not posh enough for the job. The 36 year old, who hails from a village in the Midlands region of England, auditioned for the part of Lady Mary Crawley's new love interest, and admits he was devastated to lose out on on the role.
He tells the Birmingham Mail, "I was told I didn't have enough blue blood in me to join the series. I was extremely eager to get the role, so it was disappointing, but you have to become very thick-skinned about the things that don't come your way."
In the upcoming fourth season of the hit show, Welsh actor Tom Cullen will play Lord Anthony Gillingham, who courts Lady Mary after her husband's death, while Julian Ovenden will play another suitor named Charles Blake.
The series will also feature new castmembers including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Nigel Harman, Joanna David and Dame Harriet Walter.

Downton Abbey fans rejoyce! It looks like the Dowagager Contess (Maggie Smith) will finally have her verbal sparring partner back because Shirley Maclaine is coming back into our lives.
After a two-episode part in season three of Downton Abbey, MacLaine will return for the new season. The longtime actress will reprise her role as Martha Levinson — mother of Lady Cora — in the season four finale.
According to Deadline, six new chracters will also be joining MacLaine in the highly-anticipated fourth season. Let's take a look at the royal new characters:
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-An old family friend of the Crawleys, Lord Gillingham (played by Tom Cullen)-The Duchess of Yeovil (played by Joanna David)-An aristocrat, Charles Blake (played by Julian Ovenden)-A valet, Green (played by Nigel Harman)-A friend of the Dowager Countess, Lady Shackleton (played by Dame Harriett Walter)-And an unnamed singing guest at the house (to be played by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa)
Executive producer Rebecca Eaton told the Today show, “The addition of these characters can only mean more delicious drama — which is what Downton Abbey is all about.” Fingers crossed these fresh faces can help fill the void from losing the character we love to hate, Maid O'Brien (Siobhan Finneran)
Are you excited for the return of Martha Levinson? Tell us in the comments section below.
[Photo Credit: PBS]
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It's Hollywood week, and we're supposed to be floating on little clouds of Nicki Minaj's cotton candy hair and Mariah Carey's never-ending collection of butterfly accessories.We're supposed to be in heaven. But no. It's not that simple. American Idol has to be fresh and new, so they have to change all the rules of Hollywood week. What they don't seem to understand is they they just drew a mustache on the Mona Lisa of reality singing competition challenges.
Nigel Lythgoe waltzes out to tell a surprisingly husky group of competitors that the rules have changed this year. Rule 1: See how there are only men in this room? That's the first change. Just think of it as a middle school dance. Hollywood Week 1 is the wall where all the boys are standing, the one with the basketball scoreboard hovering above their heads. Hollywood Week 2 is the opposite wall, with all the girls twirling their hair while lingering close to the emergency exit. It's unnecessary, and it severely disrupts the usual ebb and flow of the dance of Hollywood week drama.
Rule 2: Producers choose the groups, no ifs, ands, or buts. Sure, in theory this means we'll get multitudes of groups butting heads rather than just the few that are comprised of shy guys, stragglers, and raging ego-maniacs, but in practice, it means continuous crimes against music, endless mild disagreement, and so much distraction that even some of the best singers in the competition are thrown off their game. It's a mess, and not the great kind. The worst result may be that terrible performances are rewarded with a second chance time and again this episode, perhaps as an acknowledgement that this new process was bad for everyone, but first, the judges did their best to thin out the herd in the initial sudden death speed round.
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Most important to note at this point in the competition are those folks who lost it all in a matter of seconds. First up was Karl Skinner, who we fell in love with in Oklahoma City only to let go too soon in a fit of Coca-Cola-driven fervor. Unfortunately, Karl shows himself to be all growl and no true vocals, and he's sent home along with the group of strange rapscallions (including a man who drops a paper heart with all the ceremony of Criss Angel releasing a dove while he delivers his emo audition). He's followed by the singing doctor a.k.a. Dr. Calvin Peters, who I chastised for leaving behind his job helping to heal burn victims to pursue fame when we met him back in Charlotte. Next comes cutie-patootie firefighter Dustin Watts who was always lovable, but rather generic in this mixed bag of contestants.
Next comes the challenge. Cortez Shaw shows up with too much confidence for his own good, attempting to belt out the Whitney Houston classic "I Will Always Love You." And it's not good. His off-key, cocky performance starts a debate among the judges when Mariah inexplicably likes him (girl, is your falsetto range affecting your brain?). Nicki actually says she is "disgusted" and Randy says the only thing the kid needed to hear: "You ain't Whitney." Yet somehow, this cocky little smart-ass gets another shot at the big time. Sure, he sang a much tougher song than anyone else, but he clearly knows nothing about his vocal ability and that spells elimination.
The fake-outs continue as Nicki carries out a few jokes of her own. Her first victim is Bryant Tadeo, who she gets to admit he's tired so she can tell him "It's good that your tired because you're going to have a lot of time to sleep now that we're sending you home." But it's all a cruel ruse, Bryant's just dealing with a little emotional trauma now. No big deal. At least Bryant got a lesson in being grateful and excited about Idol. Oh and also, there's the part where he gets to stay. That's not bad either.
Lastly, we watch Brian Rittenberry, whose adorable wife survived cancer and then spent the second half of his audition sweetly fawning over Keith Urban. He attempts to country-fy Brian McKnight's "Back at One," and while he's still got strength and sweetness, it's clear the rough quality of his voice is serving to camouflage the lack of vocal ability. The lovable lug is sent home, and it's not pleasant to watch his dreams crash, the show is about singing and it was the right thing to do to let him go. It's a skill our judges only seem to have half of the time as auditions continue.
Almost as suddenly as it rehearsals began (because there was no time devoted to the cruel, yet fascinating process of self-selecting groups), the performances were underway, undercutting the vicious footage we've come to expect. It's probably better for our souls this way, but we were okay with the consequences of verbal sparring and bullys bested by their more talented teammates. Luckily, not everything has changed. We still get the requisite bathroom rehearsal. Unnecessary beat-boxing (unless you're Justin Timberlake or Blake Lewis, beat-boxers need not apply, but oh boy do they ever). We're also treated to an ego-crushing wake-up reel of the contestants before they've prettied themselves. Well, everyone except for Johnny Keyser, who apparently rolls out of bed with perfectly feathered hair and a cavalier attitude. And while even I'm jealous of his charmed life, full of eyes so sparkly they blind the sun and hair so naturally perfect it should be in a museum, his wake-up routine isn't exactly the highlight of Hollywood week. Then again, I'm not really sure what was.
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First group of the night is Mathheads, comprised of Matenee Treco, Matheus Fernandes, Gabe Brown, and Nick Bodington. After milking Matheus's tale of shortness for all it's worth (even having the kid lay on his bed so he could put his hopes out into the ether, "God, please help me. I've been waiting so long for this," even though he just had a fairly sizable shot on Ryan Murphy's The Glee Project. Matenee's got a case of the crazy eyes, Gabe has an issue or two with really singing out when he's not using his gutteral growl, Matheus rocks out like it's still 1984 and Van Halen is the pinnacle of musical fame, and Nick is simply so overshadowed by his cohorts that I couldn't remember a distinguishing factor about him if I tried. "Somebody to Love" by Queen earns them all another shot at the top 24, but I'm still wary of Matheus and his seemingly out of control ego.
Johnny Keyser, his pretty face, and his group take on a song that he didn't actually know, because he doesn't listen to human music, just the sounds of a million angels singing directly into his ear. "Reach Out (I'll Be There)" may be a classic Four Tops song that most fans of aural joy have heard at least once in their lives, provides a problem for Johnny in that it is a total blind spot. It means a complete jumble of misguided voices for Johnny's group.Johnny forgets his lyrics, but manages to keep on humming. Kareen Clark has the words down, but he's flatter than a piece of plywood. The harmonies are awful. Despite the fact that Aussie Keith can't believe that he knows a song that all-American kid Johnny doesn't, Johnny is sent on through while the other move on. Of course they keep the hot guy. This is Hollywood after all. What's Tinseltown without a few attractive people to keep us interested? (A town full of talented people who were judged fairly? Who wants that.)
And the disappoint keeps on keeping on. Curtis Finch and his unbelievable gospel/R&amp;B voice have made him one of the voices to beat in the competition, but as it turns out, he's kind of a jerk. When his assigned teammate, scrawny little pop-punk-loving Charlie, gets sick, Curtis sees it as an opportunity to do better for himself, with the kid out of the way. Their third teammate does everything he can to help Charlie, even admitting it to the camera while Curtis stood aside expressionless, totally aware that taking credit for helping Charlie would be unwise after the truth had been caught on camera. When the trio performs, however, you'd never know there was an issue among them, but Curtis's capable runs are tinged with the knowledge that he would have let that poor kid hang out to dry if he needed to. Apparently, he didn't get the memo about everything he says being taped and presented to America so that they might one day choose to vote (or more likely not vote) for the guy who was too ambitious to help a guy in need. Naturally, the judges don't know about his backstage antics and they're wowed, sending all three through while Mariah inflated Curtis' ego by telling him she's been waiting all day to hear him sing. With a victory on his hands, Curtis is all team spirit suddenly, but I can't imagine that would be the case if the song had put him in danger. If only she wasn't right about his talent. Selfish or not, the guy can destroy any song he touches.
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Two more relatively boring groups squeak on by, giving speech-impediment sufferer Micah Johnson and his teammates Vincent Powell, Marvin Calderon, and David Willis a ticket to the next round. Also raking in the luck was sign language teacher Nate Tao's group of leather-jacket-lovers, who all went easily to the next round, even Cortez, despite his tendency to hop into off-key territory during "Some Kind of Wonderful." If Cortez keeps getting through, we're going to have the male equivalent of Karen Rodriguez on our hands again.
While we wade through two groups who can't even muster up a fraction of the lyrics to either "What Makes You Beautiful" (only the most infection pop song courtesy of the biggest boy band on the planet, One Direction) or any number of other well-known songs during this, a singing competition presumably filled with folks so set on singing they might want to listen to artists other than themselves. Two groups of lyric-losers come through and only Paul Jolley and Will White survive.
B-Side or the group formerly known as Three Men and a Baby (get it, because that one kid is 15 and the rest of the dudes are strapping men!), try a little Maroon 5 and Keith comes to his fellow reality judge Adam Levine's defense: "Adam Levin isn't dead yet, but he's alredy rolling over in his grave." Morbid, Urban. Gupreet Singh Sarin, Nicki's favorite "Turbanator" from New York, leads the group, many of whom forget the lyrics completely while Sarin at least fills his empty lyrical space with some scatting. The sounds are simply cacophonic and even though Gupreet does his best to salvage his flub, he's not much stronger than he was during auditions when Nicki had to beg her fellow judges to give him a shot. Yet somehow, the judges deliberate and come out with the idea that these guys, who blew their group audition, deserve another chance. Even Gupreet looks confused as Nicki exclaims her joy over her "baby group" living to see another day of competition. She says she pushes them through because "we are humans and we forget the lyrics, but it's about what you do in those moments that makes you a star," and we hear you, Nicki, but these guys don't seem to be the ones to use that card up on. Hopefully, I'm wrong and they heed Randy's command to simply "be better next time." Some act of God spared this undeserving group, but hopefully it will lead to somewhat of a small miracle when it comes time for solo Hollywood auditions tomorrow.
Suddenly, some glaring choice (that occurred in the last paragraph and surprised all of us) makes the judges realize they have to get tough and soon. Luckily, they are served up a nice hot plate of terrible singing to get them in the cutting mood. Last Minute, a group that included Jason Jones, Dan Wood, Jessie Lawrence, and some guy the producers didn't see a need to call by name forget their words and quite possibly how to sing, forcing Randy to burst, "How do I even judge this?" He doesn't really have to, and send the whole lot home.
Carrying on with the snooze train is a group organized by Ryan Conner Smith, who gets the singers to perform a cappella. The judges hate the lack of musical accompaniment, and Ryan's innovation (and lack of vocal prowess) is what sends him home while the rest of his group stays. Perhaps he should have heeded his vocal coach (and Katharine McPhee's mom) when she cast a disapproving look at the mention of an a cappella audition.
Burnell Taylor from Baton Rouge is known as the guy who made Mariah cry during auditions, but during Hollywood week, his group's "Some Kind of Wonderful" almost made her cry for another reason. Burnell doesn't know the words, and his vocals are suffering. Yet memories of his past performances apparently keep him alive, during the round that is supposed to be judged at face value and he and his teammate Tony Foster Jr. are safe while their cohorts pack up.
Finally, as the end of the episode approaches, the drama begins to emerge. Super 55, socially-challenged stutterer Lazaro Arbos' group is having issues. And if you ask Josh Stevens, it's because they're all spending too much time trying to fix Lazaro because he's "not from around here" and his stutter makes it hard to communicate. While Lazaro is concerned that his teammates take his speech issue as a symptom of deficient mental ability, Josh is the one showing off just how stupid he can be. Who's the one Nicki loves so much, she made a heart with her hands in his general direction during the sudden death round? Oh, Lazaro. That's right. Pipe down, Joshie. While Josh worries some more, Ryan Seacrest's voice-over hopes the group doesn't become a statistic (which is impossible because they're by default already a statistic. This isn't an STD prevention PSA. "Becoming a statistic" doesn't mean bad things happen to you.) And the only people in danger of statistichood turned out to be Josh and his buddy in bullying, Scott Fleenor, who plays the flat singer to Josh's boring 1950s sock-hop attendee. Lazaro and his teammate Christian Lopez (With the dreamy blue eyes and sultry, seductive singing voice) are the only ones worth watching, and when the voting is done, the judges only leave the talented ones standing. Scott simply sulks, but Josh takes this golden opportunity to right the wrongs he's committed since group rehearsals started to be a total ass. "If anything, you should be going on. We spent so much time perfecting what you needed to be doing," was all he could say through his tears to Lazaro before he parted ways with the talented young lad.
But Idol had more than one group tailor-made for total implosion. Country Queen pitted two eccentric young men against two strapping young country singers, one of whom has a serious issue with men who don't chop down trees or stomp around in muddy boots. JDA and Joel Wayman drive Army man Trevor Blakney nutty with their focus on showmanship, but his real problem seems to be the various ways in which both men are less attached to traditional expressions of gender. While they're completely willing to listen to his needs as a member of the group, Trevor is convinced his teammates are ignoring him and he flatout refuses to participate in the lyrical workshop that he whined so desperately for, complaining that he didn't want to "put on dresses and put glitter on." And his intolerance of people unlike himself (something producers were counting on) costs him his pride and his spot in the competition. He forgets his lyrics, while his glitter-wearing teammate JDA focuses on vocals and wins the judges approval. Everyone in the group, including so-so country singer Lee Pritchard make it through while Trevor heads home to pout about never having lost anything before. Well, my dear boy, the thing about winning is that it doesn't happen when you sit on your rear end complaining for an entire round of a cutthroat competition.
And just when it seems the judges' vow to be tougher isn't quite as strong as they made it sound, Cystic Fibrosis afflicted 15-year-old Kayden Stephenson comes to the stage with his group, which includes a mature and much more polished David Leathers Jr. (he was eliminated at the top 24 cut off last season), is up with "For the Longest Time." Idol placed all four members of DSDK together because, oh aren't they cute, they're all the youngest in the competition. Each of the youngsters delivers at the very least descent solos until it comes time for Kayden's turn. A quick shot of Mariah while Kayden flounders with his sweet, child's voice on stage makes the diva look like she's just seen something horrific. This sweet little survivor is crashing and burning before her eyes and she can't handle the thought of what the judges are going to have to tell him. Luckily, he's not sent home alone, alone Sanni M'Mairura and David make it through, but it's still heartbreaking to watch little Kayden trudge on home. While his story was awe-inspiring, it was clear during his first audition that his voice wasn't strong enough for the competition, yet the show couldn't resist sending him through and pumping him for failure. He should never have made it to the televised round of auditions; it was clear he wasn't strong enough. Yet in the end, Nicki has to convince Mariah (and any backstory-clinging viewers) that sending him home was the right thing to do. Yes, it was hard watching the panel send home a cancer survivor with an amputated leg after he wasn't good enough for the competition, but it's less difficult than watching him step even closer to his dream before it's taken away. Rip the bandaid off early, or we're left feeling horrible for a young kid who was advanced unfairly because his story looked great as an episode endcap.
Finally, the night ends in tears when Frankie Ford, who won us over with his story about singing for change on the subway in New York, lets the pressures of a contentious group mar his ability to use his God-given voice. Placed in a group with powerhouse Charles Allen, unstoppable personality Papa Peachez, and constant surprise Adam Sanders, Frankie is faced with a smorgasbord of musical variety. He could, as the least experienced member of the group, use it to learn. But instead, he spends the whole rehearsal period complaining that they don't listen to him, driving him to tears just minutes before it's time to perform. Oz, as they decide to call themselves, serves up a performance that's the vocal equivalent of the junk drawer. Nothing fits together, however great the value in each individual piece. Peachez is weak, clearly shaken up by the group dynamic. Adam does okay, but ultimately rescues his performance with a suggestive joke. And Charles is the only solid performer, pulling out a few high notes and impressive runs. Frankie, however, cries on stage, forgets his lyrics, and eventually gives up mid-phrase. Even if his story is admirable and moves us and his voice is a good one, this is not the behavior or attitude of someone who can win Idol. He's cut loose while Peachez earns another chance thanks to Nicki's incessant begging, but that's not the last we hear of the supposedly sweet singer from New York. He bursts out of auditions, barreling away from his friends and yelling about how he'll come back and win, but it's his line "They will not deny me" that is of concern. Frankie, you're a good singer, but no one, not even American Idol owes you a win or an instant ticket to fame. He can come back again, but unless he fixes that attitude, it's going to be the same story all over again.
With all that surprisingly lackluster nonsense out of the way, Thursday will deliver the solo Hollywood round, also known as the place contestants start to have their big moments (you know, those performances that seem to make the sky open up just so angels can come down and flutter around the singer on the stage?). There will be a bit of drama here and there, but what we're looking for isn't a fight or a hissy fit. We're looking for some kind of wonderful.
Of course, it will be strange to go through this process once more with the ladies next week. Hopefully, they don't leave us with such ardent fits of boredom as the menfolk.
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler
[Photo Credit: Fox]
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Weeks and weeks of speculation and conspiracies and teasing tweets from Nigel Lythgoe have led to this: The final revealing of this year's So You Think You Can Dance Top 20, or as we like to call it in Nigel-world, the illustrious Green Mile episode.
And it was also the 200th episode of SYTYCD! Who ever would've thought we'd get to this point? Not I. Cat wore a sequined nightshirt made out of a bedspread to celebrate.
In the interest of maintaining the suspense for myself, I avoided spoiler lists all week so I could watch Wednesday's episode with bated breath, like the rest of the world. We started the night with 35 dancers, and by the end of the sort-of-live show, there would be 20. The actual selection process was pretaped, but after each member of the Top 20 was revealed, they performed in small groups on the live stage for the first time this season.
Zooey Deschanel was our guest judge on Wednesday. I wish it was Abby Elliott pretending to be Zooey Deschanel as our guest judge, but I digress. I'm sure her presence on this show has nothing to do with the fact that her show is also on Fox and everything to do with the fact that she's a dancing expert. (Judging by her iPhone commercial.)
The Top 35 came from across the country, each with their own unique story, to Hollywood in order to learn their final fates (dun dun dun!). As the hopefuls processed, one by one, from the holding room into the judges' room, Cat pulled a Heidi Klum and asked, "Are they in? Or are they out?" and right off the bat, we learned that Alexa, our tortured Season 8 veteran, was most definitely in. She was the last lady cut last year, and before she even got the good news, we knew that her manufactured redemption story — not to mention all of that precious screen time — would not go to waste. Still, she got points for arriving at the judging episode dressed like Madonna in "Like A Virgin."
Next up was George Lawrence II, a classical dancer who impressed during his first audition in Atlanta but whom we haven't seen since then. I honestly forgot he existed, but he was added to the Top 20 anyway, as was Will Thomas, who barely even got an intro package.
Megan Branch was the first person cut, but it's okay because I didn't remember her, or Colin Fuller, who was also cut.
Amber Jackson is yet another SYTYCD veteran who was cut during the Season 7 Green Mile episode. Adam Shankman told her it was a strong field of contemporary dancers, and after butchering a moment of would-be suspense, he told her she was one of them. Congrats!
And back to the live show we went! The newest members of the Top 20 gave us the first group performance of the season, choreographed by Tyce Diorio to an acoustic version of "We Found Love" by Jessie J. Interesting. The routine reminded me a lot of the epic dance scene at the end of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, but maybe I'm just cynical. There was lots of leaping over benches and gliding and frolicking through something that was supposed to resemble a frosty forest.
The judges didn't offer a lot in the way of criticism: Nigel told giant Will that he had to learn to move like someone smaller. He told Amber she had to start believing in herself. He told Alexa she had found her internal light. And he told George that he was a shining beacon of light in the dark.
Mary repeated everything Nigel said, and Zooey commended them for being a team “because if one person messed up … the whole thing … would’ve tumbled out of control.” Because generally, you know, that’s the gist of a group routine.
Back to the Green Mile we went to discover the fate of the three remaining ballroom dancers among the Top 35: That would be BFFs Whitney Carson and Lindsay Arnold, plus Nick Carter (no, no that Nick Carter).
Nick was first up, and he wept through his intro package, telling the viewing audiences that he’s felt like he’s been in the shadows his whole life and he’s finally ready to emerge. Once he got in front of the judges, the waterworks began again, creating some profound awkwardness as the judges stared at him blankly. Then, Tyce broke the good news — he was in! — and Nick collapsed in a new heap of tears.
Cat sent Whitney and Lindsay into the judges’ room together, which prompted lots of unbearable and affected squealing from both of them and also eradicated any suspicion that either of them would be eliminated. Mary told them the judges were looking for one ballroom girl, but golly gee, they all adored both girls! What a conundrum. They tried to pull a fast one by admitting Whitney first and then belatedly inviting both ladies to join the Top 20, but I don’t even think Lindsay was faked out.
The ballroomers performed to “Dance Again” (what would a Fox show be without a little JLo?), and it honestly seemed under-rehearsed and a little frantic, but it was still more entertaining than the forest-prance from earlier. Mary was so impressed that she had to fan down Nigel, and then Zooey told Nick she feared for his life as he attempted to contend with the two “firecrackers” onstage with him. Nigel, tragically, wasn’t given an opportunity to speak.
Back to Green Mile we went to learn the fates of the three classical dancers. The girl, Eliana, was up first, but she looks so much like Brittany Murphy pre-makeover in Clueless that it was hard to focus on what she was saying. After she was added to the Top 20, it was time to decide between the two boys, both of whom make careers of dancing: There’s David Baker, otherwise known as the Australian version of Sean from The Bachelorette, and Chehon, who was repeatedly told during Vegas Week that he needed to loosen up.
Nigel told the two of them that they put the judges in a quandary: They couldn’t decide whether to choose consistency or flashes of sheer brilliance. But just like they did with the ballroom girls, the judges tried to fake out the boys and ended up putting both of them through.
Next: A life performance straight out of Riverdance.In their live performance, Eliana wore a tutu made of shards of glass and the boys wore nothing but tights, and there were lots of bass-enhanced flashing lights that made a slow-starting routine come alive into something almost Riverdance-y. That’s a compliment.
They got a standing O from the judges, and Mary called Eliana a ballet warrior and didn’t say anything about the boys, instead choosing to WOOOO at them excessively.
The two jazz dancers were up next at the Green Mile, and it would be Tiffany versus Audrey, who look so much alike that it’s nearly impossible to tell them apart when they’re talking. You might remember Audrey, however, as the girl who makes farting noises with her arm, which helps.
They faced the judges separately, and when Tiffany got the good news and then reentered the holding room squealing and screaming, Audrey looked positively ill. But have no fear! She made it, too, which led me to wonder whether the judges actually planned on cutting anyone during Wednesday’s episode.
And they would! They cut a girl named Abigail and three other ladies, all of whom went unseen and unheard in Vegas.
Then it was time for Janelle Isis, who was gunning to become the first-ever belly-dancer in the SYTYCD Top 20. Obviously, she made it — but not just because she’s the front-runner to become the judges’ pet. She’s one of the only dancers I’ve remembered every week. Not only is she unique, but she’s captivating to watch, and she also bumped her head on the doorframe as she left the judges’ room, which solidified her awesomeness.
Janelle didn’t perform on the live show because she fell mysteriously ill, and instead, Audrey and Tiffany dressed as Na’vi and performed to “Sail,” which you might remember was Chehon’s audition song. Zooey told them they were amazing and that the choreography was incredible (it was — good job, Sonya!) and she commended the ladies for not trying to upstage each other. She then referred to Tiffany as “embodied,” which I’m pretty sure isn’t an adjective.
The second hour of the 200th show began with Joshua Alexander, who you may remember as the guy who attempted a back-flip backstage before the final solos in Vegas and landed flat on his back before being whisked off in an ambulance. The judges told him they thought he was very good and were glad he could stand again, but he wouldn’t be part of the Top 20. Thanks for the closure, though. After Joshua, Blake, Jasmine and Daniel were also cut.
Matthew Kazmierczak was immediately admitted to the Top 20, and then it was judgment time for Dareian Kujawa, the guy who earned the terrible-feet decree from Nigel during his first audition. Apparently, he “softened his bricks” enough to advance in the competition.
Then, it was down to three girls, and there were two spots left. Janaya French was first up to visit the judges. She auditioned in L.A. and was told by Nigel that she had everything going for her; during Vegas week, Adam told her that he’d never noticed her before but she really stood out. Still, she seemed to fly under the radar (possibly because 83 percent of all Vegas screen time was afforded to Alexa) and worried she was done for as she waited in the holding room.
But she made it! And that left two girls and one spot: Amelia, the wannabe silent movie actress, versus Jill Johnson, for whom the judges had no complaints but who still seemed dangerously anonymous to those of us watching at home. There was a moment of comedy when, in the midst of their pre-juding interview package with Cat, Janaya burst into the holding room and announced that she made it. Both Amelia and Jill pretended to be happy for her, but their FML expressions were far more telling than their words.
The judges chose Amelia based on “star quality,” and then she, Dareian, Janaya and Matthew performed in something that seemed like a reprise of the opening-number forest dance, though slightly more engaging. They got a standing O, too, and Zooey told them she felt like she was watching a painting. It was at that point that it started to become painful to listen to her speak.
That gave us 17 confirmed finalists and three remaining spots, all of which would go to guys. Among the remaining hopefuls was martial arts-fusion dancer Cole Horibe. As he appeared before the panel, Mary told him she’d never seen anyone like him and he showed virtually no weaknesses, so he got one well-deserved spot. Sadly, that meant tappers Aaron and Zach were cut, making this year’s Top 20 tragically tapper-less.
Steppers Devon McCullough and Brandon Mitchell, both of whom I swear I’ve never seen before even though I’ve watched every episode, entered the judges’ room together, well aware that only one of them would make it out alive. Brandon was the chosen one, but Devon was adorably happy for him, so it wasn’t too sad.
And then we had one spot — one measly spot left — and two dancers: It came down to Cyrus, the super-awesome animator who struggled through much of the choreography during Vegas week, and Feliciano, who seemed to fly through Vegas with flying colors. Why did I feel like Cyrus would be the one to make it through anyway? The star-quality argument, perhaps. And the fact that I’m pretty sure this is the first we’ve seen of Feliciano. And I would be right. I’m pretty happy about it, though, since Cyrus is my unabashed fave.
Cyrus, Brandon and Cole danced a tribute to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game to be held on Fox in July (no, I'm not joking), and aside from the shameless cross-promotion, it was by far the best routine of the night. They all wore mock baseball uniforms, and a PA announcer read cute little bios about them before they started dancing. The part where they broke their bats over their knees was pretty baller, too.
Cyrus didn’t appear to be struggling with the choreography at all, though Cole definitely was the standout — he seemed like the most versatile and the most agile. The whole routine was gimmicky but super cute, and now the date of the All-Star Game (JULY 10 JULY 10 JULY 10) is drilled into my head forevermore.
At the end of the show, we got a performance from all 10 girls, choreographed by Travis Wall and based on the journey of advancing throughout all of the audition rounds to reach the pinnacle. Travis said he threw in a bunch of hard tricks because he was confident the girls could do them, and he wasn't wrong. They floated and arched and leapt their ways back and forth through a giant white door sitting in the middle of the stage, and though the routine was a bit morose on the heels of the awesome baseball-themed number (and a tiny bit cheesy), it was still enjoyable.
Nigel said that the routine flowed and had a lot of body to it, and then Cat asked Zooey if she thought it was ethereal. Zooey didn't know what that meant so she just pulled a Paula Abdul and called them all beautiful.
The Top 10 boys performed a routine choreographed by Sonya, meant to portray "the fight it would take to maintain themselves on the show." Sonya said she loves blood, sweat, and tears, so that is what she tried to evoke. Rawr. She made all of the guys take off their shirts, and despite protests from Will — who felt "jiggly” — Sonya insisted because she wanted all the guys to feel like they had nothing to hide.
Cole must have felt right at home in this routine because it seemed to have a lot of martial arts-influence, and it also had some male-on-male partnering, which was unexpected but made the whole spectacle far more dynamic. As they cut to Sonya aggressively fist-pumping during the applause, I found myself simultaneously amused and terrified.
Nigel told the guys they proved how much athleticism it takes to be a male dancer, and Zooey said, "Wow," and that's pretty much it.
The final routine of the night was a Top 20 party choreographed by Mia Michaels. All of the contestants wore black leotards and Star Trek glasses, and much of the routine involved them standing in a line and, one by one, pushing their glasses on top of their heads. Poetic. It seemed a bit dull and chaotic to me (and confusing, apparently, to Zooey, whose eyes darted nervously as she was forced to applaud), but the judges were too enthralled with Mia Michaels to give a critique.
And there you have it, folks. Your Top 20. What did you think of the selections? Is there anyone missing from this crew? Who's your early pick to win?
[Image: Fox]
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For the first time this season on So You Think You Can Dance, we got a chance to check in with faces we recognized rather than strangers. Yes, ladies and gents: It was time for the most dramatic Vegas Week ever. Or, you know, this year.
It was time to truly step up as a star. Four days of non-stop drama, non-stop Broadway and jazz and hip-hop and ballroom and groups, and at the end of it all, we would finally—finally!— have our Top 20 finalists. And, in the process, we got to be reunited with four guest judges from this season, including Debbie Allen, Tyce Diorio, Adam Shankman and Lil C. Sadly, Jesse Tyler Ferguson was nowhere to be found. (Instead, gearing up for a probably Emmy nomination?)
The Exorcist was first up in Vegas. AH! I was so excited I couldn't breathe. I had been waiting for weeks to see this man again. His solo was even better the second time around, maybe Adam Shankman and Tyce Diorio’s tears helped boosted the drama of the situation. What a way to start the night! By the way, Hampton Williams is his real name. Fun fact! I never knew that.
Next up was Janelle Isis, the hip-hoppy belly dancer. Despite the fact that I was worried her giant golden skirt was going to eat her (so did she, apparently, because she discarded it mid-routine), I enjoyed her just as much this time around as I did back during the preliminaries. This girl has Top 20 written all over her. (A sight dirty old Uncle Nigel would likely enjoy seeing.)
After a very brief montage, we were informed that 1/4 of the field was cut during solos, but we didn't see any faces except for our Selena Gomez-loving martial arts hip hopper. Darn. I liked him, too. We were quickly shuffled along to hip-hop (Nigel is on a schedule here, people), where Comfort and Twitch promised to leave our contestants on the verge of cardiac arrest by the time they were ready to perform.
Then, the worst thing in the world happened: The Exorcist quit midway through the choreography. I. Was. Devastated. This season is now empty for me.
Alas, the show must go on, and it did. Many more of our specialists excused themselves as the choreography got too tough and too fast to handle. We even said goodbye to Andre, one of the guys from super awesome Alabama hip-hop crew Dragonhouse. Unlike The Exorcist, he excused himself without telling the judges. #classy
In the first group to perform for the judges, Andre’s crew-mate Boris was cut for falling short in what should've been his specialty. Oh well. At least he tried, unlike his buddy. Another casualty was the praying mantis guy from Salt Lake City. Can’t say I was upset about that one, though like-minded Sonya Tayeh likely was.
At the end of the hip-hop round, 97 contestants remained, including Cyrus, the one (and best) member of Dragonhouse still standing. After much deliberation, the judges decided to let him continue. Hooray!
NEXT: Tyce is disgusted. You won’t like Tyce when he’s disgusted. Or ever.Day 2 meant Broadway time, and the contestants were subjected to Tyce, who fed them a story about being in a club at 2 a.m. and drinking bad water and suddenly being infected with lust. And, cue music!
Midway through the round, we were reintroduced to Alexa Anderson, a Season 8 finalist who was the very last person cut in Vegas last year. The judges’ complaint: She was too stoic. Tyce looked disgusted as he watched every group during this round, but it reached a new level with Alexa. As the judges deliberated on her group’s performance, Adam paused to rip her an (unprovoked) new one in front of everyone for being "dead". On the inside? On the outside? He said he was sick of saving her and that she needed to start dancing like she wants this. That wasn’t over-the-top at all.
Nevertheless, the dramatics were all for show and she wasn't cut — yet.
Twenty-three more were sent packing at the end of the Broadway round, and then it was right on to jazz. (Sidenote: American Idol could learn a thing or two from this show about how to keep things moving.) The 82 left were turned over to Sonya, who urged our contestants to fight for their right to stay. Particularly defeated, at this point, was hip hopper Shafeek, who began throwing a tantrum midway through the choreography, walking around in circles and muttering that the routine was stupid. His partner, Danielle Dominguez — better known as bacon girl — couldn’t do anything to help him and instead chose to focus on her love for Sonya and her choreography. Also performing for the judges in this group was Rachel, the crazy burlesque girl from Salt Lake City whose goal in life is to resemble Blake Lively in The Town as closely as possible.
When the group finished, Nigel verbally assaulted Shafeek for showing that he messed up, and unsurprisingly, he was cut for attitudinal reasons. Rachel, however, was cut for being unpolished, but did that annoying begging-for-a-second-chance thing contestants tend to do on Simon Fuller shows. The difference is, on this one, they’re allowed to do it. All of the judges except Nigel and Adam voted to give her a chance to dance for her life.
Then, in a dramatic a twist of fate, Danielle Bacon Girl went back onstage to fill in and dance the female choreography, since more girls had been cut than guys. She was rewarded with a kick to the head, courtesy of her partner. He was understandably cut, and Danielle was evaluated by paramedics, who loaded her into an ambulance and took her away. Dun dun dun. To be continued…
One person I was not excited to see again was the very first contestant we encountered this season: Amelia, the wannabe silent movie star. She was ready to bite into the jazz like it was a “juicy steak.” Fortunately, to save the situation, Cyrus was also in her group.
NEXT: No more drama. As usual, the judges looked displeased watching them, and Amelia was sent on to the dance-for-your-life holding pen while Cyrus was the victim of a fake-out —Sonya told him he was in serious need of some contemporary dance classes before sending him through anyway. Hallelujah!
In the dance for your life special at the day’s end, Rachel promised to stay true to her burlesque style — oh joy — and she wore Tom Cruise’s Risky Business outfit while writhing around to “It’s a Man’s World.” I didn’t know there was anything that could make me dislike that song after what Joshua Ledet did to it, but I was mistaken. Did this girl do anything but strip and unbutton her shirt? Seriously. Apparently, all of the judges agreed with me. She got unanimous no’s for being all sex and no action.
Next up was Amelia, who made Adam cry, and at that moment I knew I would not yet be rid of her. To her credit, though, she was very good. Her balance and her technique were spectacularly on point, even if I still wasn’t a fan of her ridiculous “acting.” Every judge sent her though with rave reviews except Nigel, who was still skeptical that she could dance any routine that wasn’t choreographed by her.
Finally, it was time for the group round. Drama! The groups would pick a piece of music at random from a giant black bin of doom and have all night to work on a routine, and in a much-appreciated twist, they were allowed to pick their own groups of five or six.
First up on Day 3 was a group featuring our friend Danielle, who recovered from her head trauma after eight hours in the hospital. She was a late addition to one benevolent group, which had to start from scratch after spending two hours working together. They called it quits at about 4 a.m., and bright and early the next morning, they performed their routine to “Somebody I Used to Know,” which was disturbingly out of sync. Nigel told them point blank they were terrible. He said they should all be sent home, but of course he wouldn’t do that — and in a surprising twist of fate, he only cut Danielle and some other guy. A kick to the head and that’s how you repay her?
Midway through the day, the High Schoolers — four guys and pink-haired ballerina Audrey — were up, performing a prom-themed routine to a super-slow version of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Though our female ballet dancer was clearly the star, her supporting cast was pretty impeccable. Tyce told them they were one of the best groups thus far and Nigel called them genius, particularly Audrey. All of them advanced.
The last group up featured three dancers who had previously made it to the end of Vegas Week — Alexa, of course, plus Dres from Season 8 and Adrian from Season 7. Alexa, in particular, was under pressure after suffering Adam’s verbal assault earlier in the week, and her group’s routine to “Glad You Came” provoked Tyce into making his homicidal-nausea face. Uh oh.
NEXT: Tyce is no longer enamored with beauty.Though Debbie said they were lovely, Tyce took another opportunity to destroy Alexa. He told her the lights were on but nobody was home and that he was no longer enamored with her beauty. Is this tough love or are these judges just a-holes? I hate it when they criticize people for not being loud and aggressive; homegirl can’t change her personality. The judges clapped for her when they finally made her cry — You finally showed emotion!, they cooed — which sent an excellent message to our viewers at home. And then, after all of the drama, the judges put all of them through.
In the second-to-last round of choreography — ballroom time — Jason Gilkison subjected the remaining guinea pigs to the Cha-cha. After jumping through so many hoops, Cyrus finally started doubting himself in this round, and it finally hurt him: Everyone in his group advanced, but he was relegated to dance-for-your-life purgatory.
Next up was a collection of contestants featuring Aubrey, our genius prom dancer from the group rounds. I swear she was wearing a bra and a tutu, but the judges didn’t seem to be bothered by that. They were, however, bothered by her lack of proficiency with the routine, and she was axed. It’s amazing how you can go from such a high high to such a low low on this show.
Alexa was under more pressure than anyone in this round, since this is where she crumbled last year. She finally came alive, prompting catcalls and euphoric cheers from the judges throughout the routine. Jason told her she was one of the best of the day and she was sent through with flying colors. Yay, she said in her internal Daria voice.
At the end of the round, Cyrus was ready to dance for his life. He was in the zone. Nerves were nonexistent, and his LeBron fire came out to play. The untrained street dancer did an excellent job of reminding the judges of what makes him so unique; now that The Exorcist is gone, there’s truly no one else who moves like him. He had his fellow contestants in the audience standing and screaming and pounding the seats in front of them, and yeah, me, too. He got unanimous yeses and didn’t smile once throughout the verdict. Totally LeBron in Game 7.
The remaining 52 dancers had just one more challenge to endure: contemporary with Travis Wall. They had one hour to learn the steps, and after Nigel told them they wouldn’t learn their fates until the end of the day, it was time to really dance for their lives.
We literally got about 30 seconds of footage of the actual dancing (there were no cuts, and therefore no reason to see any talent, obviously), and then it was judgment hour. One-third of the dancers were pushed through, including Amelia (yawn) and Cyrus (yay!). Another collection of contestants had to repeat the choreography so Nigel &amp; Co. could make some final decisions.
NEXT: SYTYCD’s answer to Symone Black.One of the on-the-fence candidates was Mariah Spears, the super-cool krumper from the Salt Lake City auditions. My heart was shattered even further when she was cut. First The Exorcist, now this? Dude.
With those cuts made, it was time for one final round of solos, and it was here that we received our token injury moment, SYTYCD’s answer to Symone Black, also known as the girl who fell off the stage during Hollywood Week on Idol. Contemporary specialist Joshua Alexander attempted to do a back flip and fell flat the floor, and after his spotter (good job, bud) nervously mumbled, “He’s not moving,” we heard someone off-camera yell, “Call a medic!” The closest camera guy thought about it — he reached into his pocket for his phone — then abandoned the idea in the name of getting some quality footage. What would we viewers do without these intrepid photogs?
We were left hanging with regards to his fate as Alexa took the stage in the main auditorium. While she performed a haunting classical-contemporary hybrid routine, Debbie mumbled, “This child could win.”
The last contestant of the night was the Robin Thicke lookalike from Week 1, whose classical choreography and interspersed acrobatics made the judges ooh and ahh like they were watching someone play with a ring of fire without burning himself. Legitimately. It was like we were watching Olympic dancing. Robin Thicke received a well-deserved standing O.
As all of the boys were corralled back onstage at Nigel’s command for one last round of cuts, we said goodbye to was Adrian, our Season 7 vet, who was the very last person cut two years ago. Then, it was time for the girls, and we bid farewell to… no one! All the girls would remain in the running for next week’s final final cuts.
And at the end of Vegas Week, we’re down to 35. Who are you pulling for in next week’s top 20 announcement show? Whose departure devastated you? How eager are you to learn of the unfortunate backflipper’s fate?
[Image Credit: FOX]
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Widening the thematic scope without sacrificing too much of the claustrophobia that made the original 1979 Alien universally spooky Prometheus takes the trophy for this summer's most adult-oriented blockbuster entertainment. The movie will leave your mouth agape for its entire runtime first with its majestic exploration of an alien planet and conjectures on the origins of the human race second with its gross-out body horror that leaves no spilled gut to the imagination. Thin characters feel more like pawns in Scott's sci-fi prequel but stunning visuals shocking turns and grand questions more than make up for the shallow ensemble. "Epic" comes in many forms. Prometheus sports all of them.
Based on their discovery of a series of cave drawings all sharing a similar painted design Elizabeth (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie (Logan Marshall-Green) are recruited by Weyland to head a mission to another planet one they believe holds the answers to the creation of life on Earth. Along for the journey are Vickers (Charlize Theron) the ruthless Weyland proxy Janek (Idris Elba) a blue collar captain a slew of faceless scientists and David (Michael Fassbender) HAL 9000-esque resident android who awakens the crew of spaceship Prometheus when they arrive to their destination. Immediately upon descent there's a discovery: a giant mound that's anything but natural. The crew immediately prepares to scope out the scene zipping up high-tech spacesuits jumping in futuristic humvees and heading out to the site. What they discover are the awe-inspiring creations of another race. What they bring back to the ship is what they realize may kill their own.
The first half of Prometheus could be easily mistaken for Steven Spielberg's Alien a sense of wonder glowing from every frame not too unlike Close Encounters. Scott takes full advantage of his fictional settings and imbues them with a reality that makes them even more tantalizing. He shoots the vistas of space and the alien planet like National Geographic porn and savors the interior moments on board the Prometheus full of hologram maps sleeping pods and do-it-yourself surgery modules with the same attention. Prometheus is beautiful shot in immersive 3D that never dampers Dariusz Wolski's sharp photography. Scott's direction seems less interested in the run-or-die scenario set up in the latter half of the film but the film maintains tension and mood from beginning to end. It all just gets a bit…bloodier.
Jon Spaihts' and Damon Lindelof's script doesn't do the performers any favors shuffling them to and fro between the ship and the alien construction without much room for development. Reveals are shoehorned in without much setup (one involving Theron's Vickers that's shockingly mishandled) but for the most part the ensemble is ready to chomp into the script's bigger picture conceits. Rapace is a physical performer capable of pulling off a grisly scene involving an alien some sharp objects and a painful procedure (sure to be the scene of the blockbuster season. Among the rest of the crew Fassbender's David stands out as the film's revelatory performance delivering a digestible ambiguity to his mechanical man that playfully toys with expectations from his first entrance. The creature effects in Prometheus will wow you but even Fassbender's smallest gesture can send the mind spinning. The power of his smile packs more of a punch than any facehugger.
Much like Lindelof's Lost Prometheus aims to explore the idea of asking questions and seeking answers and on Scott's scale it's a tremendous unexpected ride. A few ideas introduced to spur action fall to the way side in the logic department but with a clear mission and end point Prometheus works as a sweeping sci-fi that doesn't require choppy editing or endless explosions to keep us on the edge of our seats. Prometheus isn't too far off from the Alien xenomorphs: born from existing DNA of another creature the movie breaks out as its own beast. And it's wilder than ever.
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Over the course of its 11 seasons, American Idol has produced a healthy supply of classic Idols. I’m not talking about the Carrie Underwoods or Jennifer Hudsons, superstars who, during their tenure on the show, only teased their future abilities, making us unsure as to whether they actually did have a shot to become an A-lister after the glitz of reality TV wore off. I’m talking about the classic Idols who not only accumulated an overzealous fanbase, but also managed to make an already addictive Idol even more intriguing, no matter their success level following the show. I’m referring Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Bo Bice, David Cook, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Haley Reinhart, and, yes, I’d even say Blake Lewis, who revolutionized the series in ways no one gave him credit for. (No one truly made any song, as Randy would say, his or her own until Blake beat-boxed his way into our hearts, and then into obscurity, during Season 6.)
These Idols might not have been the most successful to grace the stage (Kelly withstanding), but they certainly were the most entertaining. They blew us away with their passion and talent, and drew us in even further with intriguing personalities. If we brought this to a rank, they might very well make up my Top 10, if we’re solely counting entertainment value on the Idol stage. So it’s surprising to hear the judges’ panel rank Joshua Ledet as one of the two best Idols of all time, when I’d be hard pressed to find him a spot in the Top 20.
Don’t get me wrong: Dude is talented and he might transform into an industry superstar, which is good since his “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” suit made it clear he has no future as a botanist. But, unlike the judges, I can’t see what’s unique and exciting about the singer, who’s failed to garner enough criticism to encourage him to show us anything unique and exciting. Instead, week in and week out, our judges give him standing ovations for churning out performances more fit for season 3 than a post-David Cook season 11. Not only that, but they named him one of the best singers to ever exist in 50 years. So, sorry, Aretha Franklin, Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, and Beyoncé. Joshua, a star of a reality show on a network that made a name for itself airing a show about bored police officers that bust drunk idiots, has got you had.
Look, I understand hyperbole. It’s likely the judges don’t actually feel Joshua could be stacked against those greats, no matter how many times the ejector button shoots them out of their seats. But Joshua’s “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” was a faithful cover of The Temptations hit that was only slightly better than George Huff’s rendition in Season 3. And, while Joshua ended “To Love Somebody” on many a high note, the performance was just as listenable as Clay Aiken’s version in Season 2, but no more. But perhaps nothing shows the judges’ unfair favoritism towards Joshua than their high praise of Joshua and Phillip’s duet of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” a performance not only horrendous because of its pitchiness, but also because of the fact that Joshua and Phillip failed to play sweaty shirtless volleyball after the performance. Steven, in fact, labeled it “perfect,” despite the contestants’ inability to keep a straight face during the entire performance — they broke so often during the song, all it was missing was Jimmy Fallon.
NEXT: Phillip's Self-Sabotage?
One could even say the judges also harbor favoritism for our favorite pawn shop worker, Phillip, who brought us self-sabotage of Jason Castro levels last night. There was the aforementioned “Lovin’ Feeling,” the worst duet to hit the Idol stage since James Durbin’s and Jacob Lusk’s “I’m Into Something Good.” There was his take on The Zombies’ “Time of the Season,” which saw him struggling on high notes he should have never attempted to hit. (The judges might have been surprised with his straight-forward take, saying, “He can really sing the melody!” but they failed to take into account that he couldn’t sing it well.) Then there was the biggest Idol no-no of all: The heartthrob brought his girlfriend to CBS Television City. Phillip had to have known that would send a flurry of his fans straight to their Lisa Frank diaries, where they bitterly write down Joshua’s phone number, sniffling away the tears as they realized that maybe Phillip wasn’t singing right at them every Wednesday night after all. Sniff.
But, as much as I adore Phillip and the gray, cringe-y way he makes Tommy Hilfiger cringe, self-sabotage is hardly as dumb as pairing with the cowboy during group week. In fact, Phillip would be much better off being sent home Thursday night, a scenario as plausible as the possibility that J. Lo will wear sequins and make me wonder who her very talented doctor is. As we’ve seen over the course of the past 11 seasons, a rock star winner on Idol is faced with a disadvantage. Forced into the music scene as a solo act showered in confetti on reality television, rock winners — see: David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze — have found it difficult to build cred in the industry. On the other hand, an artist like Chris Daughtry — who was just as recording-ready as Phillip during his tenure on Idol in Season 4 — managed to accumulate a group of fans dedicated to making sure he built the acclaim and respect he so deserved on the reality show. Because, at this point, Phillip doesn’t need Idol. He know who he is and what kind of album he needs to record — one that should include lovely and listenable performances like “The Letter.” As guest mentor Steven Van Zandt said, “Leave him alone. He’s good. Badabing, badaboom, parkway, other New Jersey stereotypical phrases.”
It’s hard to believe I’m imagining an Idol world in which Phillip goes home, and Hollie may stay. What is this, opposite night? Am I now supposed to compliment Brian Dunkleman on his hosting skills last night? Where am I? What year is it? How did I get here? Who does No. 2 work for? But not only do I believe Hollie will stay, but I believe she should stay. Granted, Idol set up her underdog storyline perfectly: After being at the receiving end of insults from judges and fans alike, Hollie began her Idol climb last week with, appropriately, “The Climb.” And now, we hand the British lass a British Night theme. Cut to: A tepid performance of Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” that the judges conveniently failed to criticize as much as Jessica Sanchez’s Tina Turner cover, and a version of “Bleeding Love” that allows audiences to compare her with another reality show winner, the U.K. X Factor’s Leona Lewis. (Even though Steven couldn’t, since he managed to avoid all radios and doctor’s offices in 2007, having never heard the song before.) It’s no surprise the show seems to be supporting the contestant: Idol would be better off with Hollie on the show — there’s nothing the reality series’ viewers love more than to bash a contestant that undeservingly outlasted their favorite. (See: Danny Gokey, Sanjaya Malakar, Syesha Mercado, Scott Savol, etc.) To rid Idol of Hollie rids the show of some of some desirable intrigue that could make The Voice-hating ratings fairies at Fox celebrate.
NEXT: Where does Skylar fit in?
So I wouldn’t be surprised if Hollie’s reality-friendly storyline picked up the young female vote. Which means Season 11’s other young girls might also be in jeopardy come Thursday, especially if audiences failed to connect with Jessica’s spirited-but-disturbingly-sexy cover of “Proud Mary,” presumably performed against a backdrop of set items stolen from the set of Chicago. (I’ll take “Potently Inappropriate Dresses For a Teenager” for $600, Alex!) And it doesn’t help her cause that the judges criticized her for taking on the dragon that is Tina Turner, without having doled out the same criticism to supposed slayer Hollie. (Not to mention the fact that J. Lo wondered rhetorically, “How could you let this girl go home?” which pretty much introduces the possibility that Jessica could leave CBS Television City Thursday night.) But I’d find it impossible if anyone in the viewing was unable to connect with Jessica’s fittingly beautiful version of “You Are So Beautiful,” which was so alluring and perfectly executed, it’s despicable to think the young singer has never been gifted Idol’s pimp spot. (Predictably, Joshua scored the spot Wednesday night for the second time.) Come on, Nigel! She’s sitting on the floor! In the name of Fantasia and Katharine McPhee, don’t you know that floor-sitting leads to an automatic Idol moment?!
And then that leaves us with Skylar, the consummate professional who, week in and week out, offers up fun performances so contagious, I hope a trip with CBS Television City comes complete with a CDC vaccine shot. But that’s precisely her problem: Skylar lacks not only the tearful histrionics that garners votes, but the intriguing storyline that sends fans racing to their cell phones. Joshua is the anointed one, Phillip is the rebel, Jessica is the victim, and Hollie is the dark horse. But how do you categorize Skylar? Sure, her “Fortunate Son,” was a perfect song to show off her stage presence, and anyone who didn’t fall for “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” is as weird as that couple on the bench. But the CCR song’s counter-culture theme might not gel with her fanbase, and Skylar’s latter performance is far too perfect a swan song to quell my nerves surrounding her fate Thursday night. And after her bottom three visit last week, perhaps only luck will keep her from riding an ATV right out of CBS Television City. Perhaps she should have performed “Knock on Wood” after all.
Do you get the Joshua hype, readers? Who’s headed home Thursday? Did Jessica, Skylar, and Hollie sing “Higher and Higher,” or was the song performed by a series of American Girl Dolls? Why did Elise Testone get a goodbye montage in the opening credits, but Colton Dixon didn’t last week? And did Steven Van Zandt learn his chair-sitting etiquette from Flashdance?
Follow Kate on Twitter @HWKateWard
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